Jareth meets the Goblin Queen
by Simply01
Summary: Jareth accidentally wishes away his younger sister to the Goblin Queen. My take on what could have happened had the roles been reversed.
1. Chapter 1

I saw an old challenge about Jareth and Sarah trading places, Her the Goblin Queen and Him the mortal. While I saw a lot of artwork depicting the switch, I couldn't find any stories about it (if you know of any lemme know ). The more I searched for a story, the more I started to think about how it could go, and tada! Here's my version. This is my very first story (ever) and after reading so many amazing works on here, I can only hope my small offering is up to par.

Disclamer: I own nothing, everything belongs to their respective owners.

* * *

Jareth stood quietly next to the open door; eyes squeezed shut, one hand clenching the knob, the other slowly rising to pinch the bridge of his nose. He shook his head slowly and let loose a heavy sigh. He opened his eyes and stared at the bedraggled girl standing in front of him. Her hair hung wet and limp, covering the blue eyes that were nervously darting between his own and the floor. Her once pale pink dress was dripping water and mud in a neat circle all around her as nervous fingers twisted around an untied sash.

"I was just checking on Hoppy," she said, pointing behind her to the old rabbit hutch in the corner of the back yard. Jareth nodded silently. "…Hoppy doesn't like the rain, so I was making sure she was okay." The child paused, pushing the hair back out of her eyes to look up at Jareth, "and I kinda fell…into the mud…"

"You fell." Jareth replied flatly. "_It looks more like you bathed in it,"_ he thought to himself looking her over once more. She shifted nervously under his gaze, and he found himself staring at her once white shoes. Each little shuffle seemed to force more mud out of the shoe to ooze onto the floor.

"Well, I was running," she began.

"And why, pray tell, were you running?" Jareth interrupted, raising a brow.

She stared up at him for a moment with a confused look, as if questioning his sanity. "So I wouldn't get wet of course."

"Ah," Jareth nodded, closing his eyes and raking a hand through his hair, "of course." He motioned her further inside and shut the door against the rain that was now starting to come in. He turned to face her, hands on his hips. "I leave you alone for two minutes – "

"Seven." She quietly interrupted.

"…Seven?" Jareth questioned, bringing up a hand to cover his eyes.

"Yep, " she said, pointing to the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. "I counted."

"Of course you did" he sighed, rubbing his eyes. "well, I dare say this is a new record for you Tabby. You managed to completely ruin a new outfit within ten minutes of wearing it." He gave his sister a tired smile as he walked behind her. "No sense in crying, what's done is done," he said quietly, seeing the tears beginning to form. "Let's get you out of this filthy thing, can't have you tracking mud all over the house."

Jareth sent Tabby upstairs for a bath and began to clean up as best he could. He picked up the dress and shoes and holding them at arms length quickly dropped them into the sink. He contemplated throwing the whole mess out, but grimaced when he remembered how much they had cost in the first place. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, giving a quick laugh. Here he was on a Friday night trying to figure out the best way to get a mud caked dress clean, while his friends were most likely bar hopping and living it up. Jareth sighed, and hung his head, suddenly feeling so much older than twenty-eight.

* * *

Jareth moved slowly up the stairs and down the hall. A quick glance in the bathroom had confirmed that the bath was over. Looking at the nasty ring left in the tub he sent up a silent prayer that Tabby had emerged _somewhat_ clean, and headed towards her room. Jareth knocked softly on the partly opened door and entered. Tabby glanced up from her seat on the bed, hairbrush in hand, viciously attacking her tangled hair.

"You won't have a hair left on that pretty head of yours if you keep that up," he teased, sitting next to her on the bed, taking the brush. He soon had her hair soft and smooth, and his fingers flew as they nimbly braided the pale blonde hair and secured it with a band.

"Read me a story?" Tabby asked, jumping up from the bed and skipping over to the bookcase. Jareth nodded his reply as he returned her brush to the dresser top and stood waiting for her to make her selection. He let his eyes roam the books, wondering what it would be tonight. "_That one about fairies perhaps? Maybe the princess one? The bunny family goes to the fair?" _He sighed, his mind wandering back to what his friends were likely up to. _It's not fair_ he thought to himself, pasting on a smile as Tabby handed him her book.

He stared down at the small book in his hand as Tabby scrambled into bed, drawing her blankets and stuffed animals close. He let his finger trace over the gold lettering. _The Labyrinth_. It had been his mother's favorite book. She had read him the story countless times when he was younger, and he never got tired of hearing it. He hadn't seen the book in ages, had almost completely forgotten about it to be honest. "Where did you find this?" he asked, glancing at her as he settled on the edge of the bed.

"Waaaaaaaay in the back, behind the other books," she replied with a grin. Jareth frowned slightly. He didn't remember leaving it there, but then again, he couldn't quite remember the last time he had seen it either. "_I must have put it there with other books when I was cleaning,"_ he mused.

"Are you sure you want to read this book? There's no pictures to look at," he questioned, flipping through the pages.

"Yep," she grinned, wiggling down deeper beneath the covers.

* * *

Jareth quietly closed the book and stood up. He had gotten a third of the way through the book before she had finally drifted off. He gently laid the book down on the dresser top and moved to the door, switching the lights off. He was just about to close the door when she called out to him.

"What is it Tabby?" he asked quietly, looking over at the bed.

"Wouldn't it be neat to see goblins?" she asked, smiling sleepily.

Jareth chuckled, "perhaps," he said nodding.

"I think it would be fun. We could play all kinds of games," she said with a yawn, before rolling over and falling fast asleep.

* * *

Jareth softly closed the door and headed back downstairs. "_She wants to play with goblins_," he muttered to himself with a grin. He walked over to the sink and lifted a piece of the soaking dress out of the water to survey the damage. He let it sink back down and said quietly "I love you dearly Tabby, but there are times I wish the goblins really would come and take you away." He flicked his finger at the ruined shoes. "Right now," he whispered.

* * *

So ends Chapter 1, yay! Hope it wasn't too disappointing. Critiques welcomed :-)


	2. Chapter 2

woo hoo, chapter 2! Thanks for the reviews!

Disclaimer: Still not mine, just borrowing.

* * *

Jareth looked up, startled, as lightening lit the room with a blinding intensity. The following roar of thunder rattled the windows, and lights within the house flickered twice before falling dark. He stood very still, breath caught in his throat, while he waited for his heart to return to normal. "_What the hell was that?_" he wondered, glancing over toward the window. He moved quickly through the house and peered out the large front window, craning his neck and squinting to see the neighboring houses on either side of the road. "Must have taken out the transformer, or hit a line somewhere," he muttered, "even the street lights are out." He turned and went carefully through the dark house, locking the doors and checking the windows.

* * *

Jareth made his way back up the stairs, pausing on the landing as another roll of thunder echoed through the house. He stood for a brief moment in front of Tabby's door, cocked his head and listened. "_It's a wonder she can sleep through this_," he thought, shaking his head and continuing down to his own room. He walked inside, leaving the door cracked so he could keep an ear on Tabby. With a quick spin on his heels he fell back and landed with a soft thud upon the bed. He lay there, staring at the ceiling and listening to the storm raging outside. He turned his head and let his eyes rest upon the single framed picture on the nightstand.

He reached out and brought the picture closer to his face. The silver frame shone bright with each flash of lightening as he tried to see beyond his own dark reflection to the faces behind the glass. He saw himself seated off to the side grinning at Tabby, who was grinning wildly over the four extinguished candles on the bright pink cake. Their mother stood above her with both hands on Tabby's shoulders smiling down on her. Tabby's father stood happily on the other side with his arm around his wife. Jareth held the picture to his chest. It had been the last one taken with all four of them together. A week later Tabby's father had been killed in a hit and run. His family's life had been shattered, so Jareth had moved back home to help pick up the pieces. While it was true that life hadn't been the same since, it had, over the next three years, regained a sense of normalcy. "It's not fair," he whispered, thinking back. "Only five months, but it feels like an eternity."

* * *

_Jareth turned from his desk to look at the opened door. Tabby stood quietly, frowning down at the floor. "What's the problem imp?" he asked, glancing back at the computer screen. When no response came he turned to her again. "Tabby, are you okay hun?" he questioned moving to kneel in front of her. She continued to stare at the floor then slowly shook her head and looked up at him._

"_Mum won't get up," she started, pausing to look behind her. "I asked her real nice, but she won't. I… I thought she was teasing, so I tickled her…but she didn't do anything." Tabby's brow furrowed as Jareth's heart iced over._

Their mother had died in her sleep. He had been reassured by several well meaning people that it had been quite a peaceful way to go. There had been an aneurism, it had burst, and that had been it. There was no pain. She was simply here one moment, and gone the next.

Jareth had eventually come to accept the fact that there had been nothing anyone could do. Life wasn't fair, and it played by rules that he couldn't even begin to grasp. What he couldn't accept was that Tabby had been the one to find her lifeless. Not a day had passed since then that he hadn't contemplated what he should have sensed, should have known, should have done. Anything to have spared his little sister such a horrible memory.

* * *

"You should still be here Mum. Both of you should be here. I'm trying my best, but it doesn't seem good enough. I don't know what the hell I'm doing." Jareth placed the frame back on the nightstand and drew a hand across his eyes. "Aunt Rachael offered to take her in, but I just can't do that. I can't lose her too," he mumbled.

"Well, it's nice to know you care," came a sarcastic reply. Jareth's eyes shot open as he bolted upright. He quickly scanned the room, but saw nothing in the darkness.

"Who's there?" he growled, eyes narrowing, still searching for the unseen presence.

"Do you really have to ask? What a pity, I had thought better of you," an amused voice responded.

"I don't know who you are, or how the hell you got in my house –"

"Ahh," the voice interrupted, "But don't you remember? You invited me in yourself; and as for who I am, If you don't know, perhaps dear Tabitha would refresh your memory?"

Jareth froze at the mention of Tabby, and he felt the first icy wave of fear wash over him.

"Interesting, isn't it," the voice continued, "that a child that could never sleep through a thunder storm has managed to sleep through the worst storm you've ever seen? Perhaps you _should_ have taken old Aunt Rachael up on that offer," it mused.

Jareth's mind raced crazily, "_She's in bed, I tucked her in myself, where else would she be, I checked on her…but I didn't open the damned door! She has to be there, I would have heard something!_" He took off at a dead run to Tabby's room, quiet laughter following in his wake.

* * *

Small chapter, I know, but it gives background info!

This was kinda hard to write. Jareth has always just been Jareth to me. I mean you take away the magic, but your still left with his mannerisms and varying degrees of emotion. Sarah on the other hand...in my opinion she had a lot of false bravado throughout the movie, which is okay for a _human_. But she's the Goblin Queen! she can't have false bravado, it's forbidden! why? because I say so! *looks around with shifty eyes* so yeah... I'm trying to give her all the imposing/powerful/sarcastic-ness of a certain King while still retaining some part of Sarah. Not sure what that part is yet, but... I'm sure I'll find it at some point.

MyraValhallah, Mahina, BeautyandYue, worldfallsdown: Thanks for reviewing!

High Queen of Dreams: Yep, it's his sister.

tichtich2: deader than a doornail, yep it's bro/sis relationship, and cruel muahahahaha! but not too cruel, that would be mean. poor guys been through enough *points to chapter above*


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 yay! thanks for all the reviews so far!

Disclaimer: characters and a portion of the dialogue belong to their original owners.

* * *

She was gone.

Jareth stood still, staring in disbelief at the empty bed, the covers he had torn back still clutched within his shaking fingers. He let them fall and stumbled back, wheeling around to throw open the closet doors. He stumbled around the darkened room searching desperately, all the while knowing in the back of his mind that Tabby would not be found. He returned to the empty bed and sat down mechanically on the edge. His mind was a whirl of anxiety and grief, anger and disbelief, each warring its way to the forefront until Jareth wasn't sure whether he should kill the person who had stolen her away or curl up in a ball and cry. Killing won out.

Jareth was brought out of his now murderous thoughts by the soft thump of something landing near his feet. He stared for a moment before reaching down to pick up the small book. "The Labyrinth," he whispered, the gold lettering gleaming in the low light. He frowned and slowly lifted his head to look across the room at the dresser where the book had laid just moments before.

He watched in disbelief as the shadows of the room seemed to shift, converging on one spot to form a ghostly silhouette. He shook his head slowly as the shadows solidified. It…She…stood there, arms crossed against her chest, back against the wall, one well shaped leg crossed idly over the other. For a moment Jareth's mind went blank. His eyes raked over the figure from head to toe. Dark hair tumbled slightly past her shoulders, fine layers twisting here and there. Emerald eyes seemed to glow in the dim light and the dark lashes were a startling contrast to her pale skin. Soft dark leather encased her from just under her chin to the hollow of her throat, where it then broke away and attached to form-fitting sleeves that ended in small cuffs just above the elbow. Smooth gloves took over where the sleeves left off so that not a glimpse of skin was visible. Her corset style top was riddled with strange patterns, buckles, and straps. It skimmed the dips and curves of her figure continuing downward without a break to engulf her shapely legs. Her heeled boots began just under the knee and ended at the slightly pointed toes. A black cape shimmered eerily behind her, shifting with an unknown breeze as if it were made from the remaining shadows.

She arched a brow and tapped one gloved finger against her arm, staring back at him. Pushing off the wall she slowly crossed to stand in front of him, hands clasped behind her back as she bowed low at the waist to look him in the eye. He was momentarily distracted by the unobstructed view of her ample assets presented by this new position when her words brought him crashing back to the present.

"Tell me Jareth,"she purred, letting her own eyes rake over him, "are all men so easily distracted?" She stood up shaking her head. "That will make it so much easier to forget about the child," she said with a smirk.

Jareth roared in a blind rage, shooting off the bed. His hand flew up, fingers gripping cruelly into her soft throat as he slammed her back into the wall. He brought his face down, inches away from hers. "What have you done with Tabby?" He hissed.

She raised a brow, gazing at him with mischievous eyes. "It's not what I've done. It's what you've done Jareth."

He jerked her forward only to slam her back into the wall once more. "Where is she?" he growled through clenched teeth.

"My, such cruelty," she snickered. "One would think you actually cared for the girl. But how could that be? Most people don't wish away the things they love." She watched as his eyes glazed over, becoming distant, and then the mixture of horror and disbelief that came with his realization. "This is becoming quite tiresome," she murmured, glancing down towards the arm whose hand held her throat pinned to the wall. She reached up and with a single finger flicked his chest. "Down boy," she said as he was flung back several feet.

Jareth stumbled before regaining his balance. He looked to find the woman now perched upon the dresser. "Wished away? _Wished away?_ Things…_people_…don't disappear just because you wish them away. Who _are_ you?" he asked, watching her warily.

"Not the brightest crayon in the box, are you?" she sighed, rolling her eyes. "Think," she commanded, before pointing to the book still clutched in his hand. He brought up his hand, staring at the book.

"The goblins came and took her away…"he whispered.

"Yes, well, technically you did ask them to," she replied impatiently, tapping her fingers rhythmically on the dresser top.

"I never meant for her to go away! How was I supposed to know that she would disappear? If I had known this would happen I would have never said it!" he seethed, angrily gesturing around the room. "You have to bring her back! Now!"

"What's said is said," she smirked, shaking her head slightly.

"I didn't mean it!" he retorted, shaking in anger.

"Didn't you? Indecision must run in the family," she muttered.

"Where is she?" he asked, eyes glinting dangerously.

"Oh, for the love of… did you even read the damn book?" she sputtered, glaring at him.

"I've read the damn book, but it sure as hell doesn't explain who you are!" he yelled, waving the book aloft.

She sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose, and with a regal wave of her hand replied "Ruler of the Underground?"

Jareth stared at her blankly for a moment. "That would be the Goblin _King_, and you are?" he smirked.

"There hasn't been a Goblin _King_ for the last eight centuries," she smirked back.

"…The book clearly states that it's a King," he replied, arching a brow.

"Yes, well, we would hate to offend the patriarchal sensibility you mortals are so fond of," she said with a sneer. They stood glaring, each silently raging at the other. In an instant her emotions were shuttered, leaving behind a look of sheer boredom. She turned her head slightly to gaze upon her uplifted hand, and Jareth watched in awe as a crystal sphere materialized with a soft flash of light. She peered into it intently before murmuring "Go back to your room Jareth, sleep, you've had a tiring day. You've so many appointments to keep tomorrow."

Jareth stared at her, dumbstruck. "What? My sister's been taken by goblins –"

"As per your request," she interrupted.

" – and you want me to forget all about it and go to bed? What is _wrong_ with you?" Jareth shook his head before stopping to watch her, mesmerized.

The Goblin Queen rolled her eyes and continued to toy with the crystal, sending it this way and that with a flick of a wrist, rolling it along her arms in ways that seemed to defy gravity. Catching his look of awe she spun it upwards and held it deftly on the tips of her fingers. "I've brought you a gift," she smiled, extending her arm slightly towards him.

"What is it?" he asked, raising a brow as he looked towards her and then back down as the crystal.

"It's a crystal…nothing more," she said softly, bringing it back to peer within its depths. "But if you turn it this way," she quickly rolled it over and around her hand before catching it again, "It will show you your dreams." She glanced up at him and extended the crystal once more. "Do you want it?" she paused, sliding off the dresser and taking a step closer. "Then forget about the girl."

"No," he said, meeting her gaze.

"Jareth," she said warningly, eyes narrowing. "Don't defy me." She lowered her hand, an evil grin tugging at her lips. He gasped as his vision blurred and went black, a searing pain shooting through his body, bringing him quickly to his knees. "You're no match for me Jareth," she said sinking down to rest on her heels in front of him.

"I have to get her back," he gasped. She gave an exasperated sigh and rose back up, walking over to the window behind him. The pain disappeared as quickly as it had come and his vision was cleared. He stood, turning to face her.

"She's there, in my castle." He walked past her to peer through the window. His eyes widened at the sight before him. A tall castle rose in the distance surrounded by the largest maze Jareth had ever seen. It stretched in all directions, as far as the eye could see, a mixture of glistening rock and dark shadows. He glanced over his shoulder only to find that he was no longer in Tabby's room, but rather on a small jagged hillside. The Goblin Queen stood behind him, gazing out over the labyrinth.

"Do you still wish to look for her?" she asked with a wry smile. "Turn back Jareth…turn back before it's too late."

He turned back to look at the jumbled mess of walls and paths. "No," he said resolutely. "I'll find her. It can't be that far."

"Oh but it's farther than you think," she whispered in his ear, startling Jareth, "and time is short." She turned and walked toward a gnarled tree. An ornate clock materialized, hung upon a twisted branch. "You have thirteen hours to solve the labyrinth before your sister becomes one of us forever."

"Thirteen hours? Is that even fair?" he murmured, looking once again at the maze below him.

"Fair? _Fair?_ No, it's not_ fair_," she hissed, "it's generous…but since you _love_ to play fair," she continued, eyes narrowing dangerously "let's make it twelve."

"_What?_ You can't just take away an hour!" he yelled, wheeling around to face her.

"The clock's ticking," she said with a malicious grin, "and you've already wasted one hour arguing with me." She glanced once more over the labyrinth before letting her eyes rake over him. "What a pity," she laughed softly. She faded away before his eyes, dissolving back into scattered shadows, her laughter still floating on the breeze.

* * *

Poor Jareth, I think he's going to have his work cut out for him. I worked in some dialogue from the movie because, well, it kinda sounds like a standard speech they would give to each runner. I mean after a few centuries of doing this you would think they'd have something memorized. As far as the next chapter goes, I think I'll be straying off the beaten path. one would hope that the challenges would differ between a 15 yr old girl runner and and a 28 yr old guy runner. cause if not, well...that's just not fair.

High Queen of Dreams: he's over there, hiding behind that rock! kidding, I don't know where he is yet to be honest :-)

Nemo-of-Rayne: that really helped :-) I hope she's up to everyone's expectations.

tichtich2: aw, ya figured it out. It was the closest sounding I could think of to the original :-)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Thanks for all the reviews!

Disclaimer: you know the drill...

* * *

Jareth looked around the deserted hill top. The Goblin Queen had disappeared, leaving him alone. The soft ticking of the clock echoed in the silence, slowly counting down the twelve hours. He wheeled around and stalked down the steep hill towards the labyrinth cursing fate and a certain green eyed queen. He stopped short as a movement caught the corner of his eye. His breath caught in his throat as he watched with a mix of horror and disbelief.

The labyrinth was shifting. It had started far off on one side, almost out of sight. The walls swung silently on unseen hinges, opening dead ends and creating new ones. The changes rippled slowly across the labyrinth and off to the other side, continuing on out of view. Jareth stared, swearing softly under his breath. "I'm going to kill her…" he muttered darkly.

* * *

The Goblin Queen materialized just outside of the throne room, trading her summons regalia for a simple dark green dress with matching bolero. "You will not let that man ruin your day Sarah," she thought to herself with a huff, adjusting her short dark gloves and walking through the arched doorway. She peered around the circular room, stopping at the pit in front her. Tabby lay within, snuggled on top of a pile of plush pillows, a fluffy quilt pulled up to her chin. Several small goblins sat on the edge keeping watch and with a smile the queen joined them. The smallest of them scooted closer, laying his head on Sarah's arm. Looking up he whispered loudly "Girly been sleepin' the whooooooole time."

"Is that so Seaf?" Sarah whispered back. "Poor dear must be worn out, they usually wake up by now." The pit was one of Sarah's proudest accomplishments, not, of course, that she'd ever admit the thought out loud. It had been created as a way to keep the crawling babies out from underfoot after one too many had been accidently stepped on by a dancing goblin. The pillows had been added after the resulting bumps and bruises that came from trying to climb out of the pit to rejoin said dancing goblins. The quilt was added after several older children had self imposed a nap time. It was truly a marvelous thing, keeping the younger safe and giving the older comfort.

"Queeny gone for long time," Seaf continued. Sarah glanced down, smiling at the hint of worry on his upturned face.

"Difficult runner," she replied with a shrug.

"Ah," he nodded, "want we should go_ play_ with him?" he asked, flashing his sharp teeth in a smile.

"Good heavens, he wasn't _that_ difficult," she replied, throwing back her head with a laugh. With a flick of her wrist she produced a crystal and peered inside. Chuckling she handed it to Seaf. "The fool hasn't even made it to the outer wall yet."

Sarah stretched slowly and let her gaze rest once again upon the sleeping child. She was clean, freshly bathed, it seemed. No signs of neglect that could be seen. As far as one could gather from just watching her sleep, which wasn't a lot, she _seemed_ to be a happy child. Perhaps it had been a mistake, a slip of the tongue as he had argued. Oh well, what's said is said and what's done is done. It was up to the labyrinth to pass judgment, not her. Sarah rose to her feet and walked out of the room. Pausing at the door she looked over her shoulder and addressed the seated goblins. "Let me know when Tabitha awakens," She said. She took a step before pausing again, and as an afterthought added "Seaf, make sure he finds his way _into_ the labyrinth. We can at least let him think he has a fighting chance."

The goblins looked at each other after she had left. Idgit, the largest there, gave a toothy grin and pushed his helmet back. "Three silvers says he don't make it to the inner wall." Bleug snorted next to him, "I says he don't get past the forest." Org laughed, "Da hedge 'ill do 'im in first!" They threw bets back and forth as Seaf cradled the crystal with both hands, looking at the scene being played.

"Whudda ya think Seaf?" Idgit asked.

"Seaf think…" he said cautiously, still staring in the crystal, "this one…is different." The room went silent at the goblins turned to stare at him. Seaf had an uncanny ability to predict where most runners would fail. In fact, few could remember a time when he _hadn't_ been right. To hear him say that this one was…different…well, they didn't know what to make of it. Seaf stood and padded over to the window, hoisting himself up to sit on the wide ledge. He looked down over the labyrinth, watching as it began to shift. He looked back into the crystal and saw that the runner had stopped and was watching the shift too. With a grin he turned his head toward the pit, "Org, help runner find door."

* * *

Jareth stood at the bottom of the hill. He sighed and gave a half hearted attempt at brushing off the reddish dust that clung to his black slacks. Staring at the towering wall, he slowly rolled up the long sleeves before popping open the top few buttons of his cobalt blue shirt.

"Let's think about this for moment, shall we?" he said to himself as he strode forward. "I'm standing here, in front of this giant…_labyrinth_…which, for all intents and purposes, appears to be alive…_why_? Ah yes," he continued with a nod, "because a leather clad dominatrix told me the goblins carried away my sister." He stopped, hands clasped behind his back, the wall now just a few yards away. "I've finally cracked. Gone round the bend– "

Org looked curiously at the human. He didn't _seem_ overly different; although he was muttering an awful lot to himself. Org moved a little closer, eyeing him warily.

" –unless it was the Chinese take out…it has been sitting there a while…perhaps this is the reason those multivitamins were on sale," Jareth mumbled, lost in thought.

Org's jaw dropped slightly. _"not even tryin ta find a way in!"_ he thought. With a huff he straightened his helmet and went to stand in front of the confusing runner.

" – listenin' to a word I says." Jareth swung around startled, looking for the source of this new voice. "Down 'ere ya friggin giant!" it said with a huff. Standing in front of him was a most peculiar creature. The top of its head almost came up to Jareth's waist. It had a stocky build, orange tinted skin, and was covered in dark leather and metal armor that glinted dully in the sunlight. Bright orange hair stuck out at odd angles from beneath his spiked helmet. Oversized copper eyes, set just a tad too close together, sat over an upturned nose. Its wide lips were curled in disgust, revealing sharp yellowed teeth. Jareth stared for a moment, dumbstruck, as it rolled its eyes and huffed.

"I beg your pardon?" Jareth said, raising a brow and crossing his arms in front of his chest. Org leaned back and looked at the runner from under hooded eyes. It was somewhat amazing to have seen the man go from a simple minded to imposing presence in a blink of an eye. Perhaps he was different after all.

"I asks ya what ya thinks yer doin," Org said, staring boldly back.

"…And you would be?" Jareth replied coolly. Org grinned slightly. He was starting to like this runner.

"Org" he said, crossing his arms.

"Well…_Org_…what _should_ I be doing?" Jareth drawled, looking him over.

"Lookin fer the door," Org stated matter of factly. Jareth looked at the towering wall in front of him, peering to the left and then the right, following the wall as far as he could see.

"In case you haven't noticed, my nearsighted friend, there _is_ no door," he replied with a smirk. Org let out a bellowing laugh.

"There's _always_ a door," he retorted, still shaking with laughter.

"There _is_ no door," Jareth growled. This denial only fueled the goblins laughter, adding to Jareth's irritation. Org finally settled down to a chuckle, swiping his eyes with one hand and re adjusting his helmet with the other.

"Why not takes a look o'er there?" he grinned, giving his head a nod off to the side. Jareth sighed and looked off to the direction indicated. His eyes widened in dismay as he caught sight of the massive wooden doors.

"How did those get there?"Jareth asked, arms falling to his sides.

"They's always been there," Org chuckled.

"They certainly weren't there a moment ago," he replied with a frown.

"Ya just weren't lookin hard 'nuff is all," Org said, walking towards the door. Jareth followed behind him, wondering how he could have possibly over looked something so huge.

"Well, go on, haven't gots all day" Org grumbled, as Jareth stopped in front of the doors.

"In a hurry all of a sudden?" Jareth murmured with a glance at the goblin before focusing on the door once more. He laid his hand gently on the weathered wood and the door swung open effortlessly on silent hinges. He started to cross the threshold but stopped when he realized Org hadn't moved.

"Are you coming?" he asked with a glance back.

"I gots better things ta do than wander 'round with you," Org said with a laugh.

"Of course you do," Jareth said, rolling his eyes. He crossed the threshold and paused contemplating whether to go left or right. "Any words of advice then?" he asked.

Org thought for a moment. He _had_ become fond of the fellow. A little advice couldn't hurt. Org broke out into a grin. " 'member the door. Things ain't always what they seem."

Jareth turned to wave his thanks only to find a stone wall where the door had been. He let his hand drop and shook his head. "_Definitely the take out_," he thought to himself as he turned back and headed to the right.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

thanks for all the reviews so far!

Disclaimer: Not mine, but still wishing it was.

* * *

Jareth walked down the path, stepping over the occasional rock and tree limb. "_There's not a blasted tree in sight, where did these come from?" _he wondered to himself as he nearly tripped over another limb. He paused and glanced behind him, then looked back to the path ahead of him. "What kind of labyrinth doesn't turn?" He asked curiously to no one in particular. "It just goes on forever." With a shake of his head he continued forward.

As he walked, he briefly contemplated the idea of scaling the wall to try and get a sense of direction. The idea was just as quickly abandoned when he noticed the slimy film that covered the wall. Trying to scale a roughly twelve foot tall vertical wall was one thing, to scale one covered in slime was quite another.

He stopped short as a movement caught the corner of his eye. Turning to face the wall he spotted the oddest piece of vegetation he had ever seen. It was a clump of long green tubes, rooted somehow within the bricks of the wall. They swayed slightly back and forth and as Jareth leaned in closer, the ends popped open one by one to reveal bright blue eyes. With a startled gasp Jareth pulled back and stared in horrific amazement as the eyes stared back at him. Jareth blinked. So did the eyes. He turned his head and looked back in the direction he came from. The eyes turned and looked also. He looked back at them, then facing them, stared once more. The eyes turned and stared back.

"You wouldn't happen to know the way to the castle, would you?" He asked hesitantly, raising a brow. The eyes blinked. "Ah. Right. Well, didn't hurt to try," he said, moving to resume his search.

"Well no, didn't hurt a'tall, but then, how's it going to answer you? What with havin' no mouth and all, would be rather difficult I reckon."

Jareth stopped and turned to face the eyes, who were once more staring at him. "Who…" Jareth began with a slight frown. The eyes turned and looked to the wall opposite them, then back at Jareth. He followed suit and found himself nearly eye to eye with a small blue worm.

"Allo," it said with a smile. Jareth looked at it blankly. "_A talking worm…why not?_"

"Why hello there," Jareth said, pasting on a smile.

"Allo," it repeated, still smiling.

"…Yes…well…would you happen to know the way to the castle?" Jareth asked.

"Don't know why you'd want to go there," it replied with a shake of its head. "How's about comin' in for a nice cup of tea? Meet the missus and all," it continued with a smile.

"Oh, I would hate to be a bother – " Jareth began, his smile slipping.

"Oh not a bother a'tall, haven't had company in ages," the worm cut in.

"I'm afraid I'm on a bit of a tight schedule, and I really must be on my way to the castle. So if you could just point the way…" Jareth replied, letting his smile drop. The worm tilted his head and stared inquisitively for a moment.

"Must be quite important to go without tea," he said solemnly.

"Most important," Jareth replied with a nod of his head.

"Most important…" the worm echoed, nodding his head also. "Well then," he quipped brightly, "What brought you to our lovely labyrinth?" The worm grinned, eagerly awaiting an answer as Jareth glanced around himself. "_Lovely?_" he thought with a slight grimace, before turning back to the worm. He sighed and though back on the recent events that had led him here, talking to a worm. A blue worm. A blue worm that_ talked_ _back_.

"A white rabbit," Jareth replied, pinching the bridge of his nose, thinking of the muddy dress soaking in the kitchen sink.

"Cor, don't see many of them 'round 'ere, now do we?" the worm asked in amazement, looking at the ever staring eyes behind Jareth. They swayed slightly side to side in response. "Well, unfortunately I don't get 'round much, long way down and all," he continued peering over the ledge he was perched on, "But I reckon if you keep going you'll find it eventually."

Jareth closed his eyes and slowly counted to ten. He had just wasted who knows how much time trying to get directions from a worm…that never left its ledge. He counted to ten again. He wondered if strangling a worm counted as murder, then wondered if strangling a worm was even possible. He counted to ten again. The worm watched with a polite smile as Jareth's face began to slowly relax with each deep breath.

"Are you feelin' alright? Sure you don't want a cup of tea?" the worm asked. Jareth opened his eyes and regarded the worm.

"Yes, I'm quite sure. Thank you for the advice," Jareth replied with a curt nod. He turned to leave and then stopped. Glancing back at the worm he asked "I'm almost afraid to ask, but do you know if this labyrinth ever turns? I've been walking for quite some time and haven't seen an opening or corner yet."

The worm chuckled, "Well then, wouldn't be a labyrinth if it only went straight, now would it?" Jareth raised a brow and motioned for the worm to continue. "There's openin's all 'round, you just hafta look for 'em." Jareth felt a headache coming on. The worm shook his head and looked at Jareth as if he were the most pitiful creature he had ever seen. "There's an openin' right over there, next to that vine."

Jareth walked over and examined that area of wall. It didn't appear any different. He brought a hand up, grimacing at the thought of touching the slime, and placed it on the wall. His eyes widened in disbelief as his hand went right though, feeling nothing but thin air. He stepped forward and found that it was indeed an opening and he was now on the other side. He stepped back through and waved to the worm and staring eyes.

"Thanks for the help" he said with a slight smile.

"Be sure to stop back for tea!" the worm cried merrily.

"Most certainly my fine fellow, and say hello to Alice for me," Jareth replied with a chuckled, stepping back through the opening and disappearing from view.

The worm and the eyes stared at each other. "Alice?" the worm puzzled. "Ah, he musta meant the missus."

* * *

Sarah sat draped across the chaise lounge staring idly out across the labyrinth. She gave a bored sigh and glanced over at the clock sitting on the mantle. Just shy of an hour. She rolled her eyes. This was taking forever. She produced a riding crop with a flick of her wrist and began tapping it rhythmically against her leg. She sighed again and with another flick produced a crystal. She glanced in it briefly, noting that he had _finally_ stopped talking to that worm and was once again on the move. She tossed it behind her, where it hit the floor before shattering into a burst of glitter. She rested her head in her hand and stifled a yawn.

She hated having runners. It meant thirteen, _or in this case twelve_ she thought with a grin, hours of nothing. _Nothing_. She had to stay in the castle and watch some thoughtless mortal bungle their way through her labyrinth. Not that they ever _made_ it through. At least the children were somewhat entertaining. When they weren't crying; or in need of a change; or sleeping. "_How long is this child going to sleep anyways?" _She wondered to herself. Sure the goblins were being quiet, but quiet by their standards was still often loud enough to wake the dead.

"Oh well," she sighed with a shrug. She looked around the room. "This runner _is_ a tad more entertaining than the others," she murmured, taking note of just how much glitter covered the floor. Her musings were cut short by a shriek that pierced the air so suddenly, Sarah nearly toppled to the floor.

"Tabitha must be up," she said with a grin.

* * *

Jareth looked around. He had quickly gotten the hang of finding openings and was making his way quickly through the labyrinth, although he had no clue if he was making any progress. This last passage had opened into a new section. The walls here were a bit lower, but not by much, smooth, and sandy colored, rather than the slimy greenish black. The path was now covered in the same stone as the walls instead of packed dirt, and it was clear of any debris. It looked almost sterile to what lay behind him.

He moved further into the courtyard before him, peering down the entrances that enclosed it. At least the openings were easier to see here, he thought with relief. As he stood contemplating which entrance to take he felt a slight rumble beneath his feet. He put it off, at first, as the throbbing that no doubt came from doing so much walking in dress shoes. What he wouldn't give for a pair of sneakers right now. However he was forced to reconsider this brief explanation when the rumbling only grew more pronounced and the leafy vines clinging to the walls began to tremble. He watched in shock as the walls swung this way and that, closing the openings he had been contemplating and creating new ones.

The rumbling died down to nothingness, and Jareth gave darted glances, before willing himself to move. Looking over his shoulder he noticed that the way he came was now gone. There was no where to go but forward. Walking towards an opening he was startled by a piercing shriek that seemed to echo through the air. "Tabby!" he said in a strangled whisper. He whipped around, trying to determine the direction of the scream, before running further into the labyrinth.

* * *

I know, I know, but I _had_ to do the worm, he's one of my favorites. He really does look more like a caterpillar...hmm. Does it even have a name? I kept wanting to call it Alfie, but I couldn't recall if that was the official name or if it was just in a couple fanfics on here that I read.

Besides, the real challenges didn't happen until after the worm meeting...right? right? *crickets chirping*

But from here on out expect some serious dangers untold! and hardships unnumbered! ...um...well...I have 2 hardships planned anyway...but the unnumbered shall come! *shifty eyes*

critiques welcomed, thanks for the reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Thanks for the reviews so far, I really appreciate them!

Mostly Sarah and Tabby in this chapter

Disclaimer: really? you should know this by now...

* * *

Sarah stopped short in the entrance to the throne room, half hidden in shadows, watching with amusement the scene playing out before her. Tabby had awoken, and was standing off to the side staring at an intrigued looking chicken. The goblins Sarah had left to watch over her had formed a loose semi circle behind Tabby.

"Good, good," crowed Idgit, nodding. "Now this here one's a bit more diff'cult, cause she's use to it." Tabby, still staring down the chicken, nodded. "Take a run straight at her," he continued, "and don't stop."

"Helps if ya wave yer arms about," Bleug added, flailing his arms.

"An scream a tad louder iffin ya can," said Org, patting her gently on the top of her head.

"Okay, here I go!" Tabby said with a grin. She took off running towards the chicken, waving her arms wildly and screaming like a banshee. The chicken appeared slightly puzzled and took a few steps back before raising its wings and charging at the girl, clucking ferociously. The goblins cheered the girl on, clapping their hands and jumping excitedly.

"Faster, faster!"

"You can scream louder 'an that!"

"Don't stop, keep goin'! "

Sarah stood hidden, grinning, when the girl and the chicken both came to a screeching halt mere inches from each other. Tabby stood breathing heavily, arms held crazily above her head, looking down at her opponent whose wings remained raised and was cocking its head back and forth, looking up at her. The goblins stood by utterly speechless. Then Bleug let out a chuckle and the spell was broken. The chicken gave a flap of its wings and a loud cluck, Tabby turned quickly on her heel, and the room broke out in laughter as the girl was chased around the room.

Sarah stepped into the room, wiping her eyes, and watching as Tabby and the chicken continued to make laps around the room. The goblins were completely useless at the moment, rolling around on the floor gasping for breath in between their bursts of laughter. She walked over to Seaf, still sitting on the window ledge.

"You were to let me know when she awoke" Sarah admonished lightly.

"Girly was too entertaining to leave," Seaf replied with a shrug and slight grin.

"Do you suppose she needs help? She seems to be slowing down," Sarah asked with a grin, glancing at Seaf and then back at the still running child. With a flick of her wrist the chicken disappeared. It took Tabby a moment to realize that her tormenter was gone. She slowly came to a stop beside the recuperating goblins and flopped down next to Idgit.

"Whew," she said, trying to catch her breath, "You were right, that one was more diff'cult."

"You did real good kid," he replied with a lopsided grin, patting her on the back.

"Yeah, good fer a first timer!" chimed in Bleug, nodding emphatically.

"Takes years 'a practice fer some," added Org.

Tabby smiled around at each of them before noticing Sarah on the other side of the room. "Who's that?" she asked, pointing to Sarah. The goblins looked up, noticing Sarah for the first time.

"Oh, that's Sarah," nodded Org, rising to his feet before hauling Tabby to hers.

"Queen Sarah," corrected Idgit, getting up.

"Yep," chimed in Bleug.

The goblin trio trotted happily over towards Sarah and Seaf, Tabby following shyly behind them. They recounted the successful chicken runs that she had completed before her eventual defeat just moments before. Sarah listened in amusement, stopping to ask a question here and there, all the while watching Tabby as she tried to hide behind Idgit.

"Well, Tabitha, it sounds like you've been having a good time so far," Sarah said softly, addressing her with a smile. The girl peered out from behind Idgit and nodded. "Am I truly so frightening? I see no reason for you to hide from me," Sarah said gently, kneeling down on the stone floor. She rested an elbow on her raised knee and rested her chin in her hand, smiling warmly. Tabby stepped out from behind Idgit and stood in front of her. "Much better," Sarah whispered.

"Are you really a queen?" Tabby asked, looking her up and down.

"Indeed I am," Sarah replied.

"You don't look like a queen," Tabby said with a slight frown. The goblins behind her let out a gasp and looked toward their queen.

"And what is a queen suppose to look like?" Sarah asked pleasantly.

"I dunno…you don't have a crown…and your hairs down…and you don't have any jewels." Tabby replied, looking thoughtful.

"Ah, well I would hate to disappoint you," Sarah chuckled. She brought up her other hand and produced a crystal as Tabby watched in amazement. She rolled it over and across her hand before letting it rest on a single finger tip, and extended it gently to Tabby. "Here, take this," she said. Tabby gently picked up the crystal.

"What is it?" Tabby asked in awe.

"A crystal, nothing more," Sarah replied. "Think about what a queen should look like, what you think one should look like." Tabby nodded, then holding the crystal in both hands brought it close to her face and screwed her eyes shut, thinking hard.

"Okay!" she exclaimed, opening her eyes and giving a little jump. Sarah took the crystal and stood up.

"Well then," she said, addressing the curious goblins, "Let's see what a queen should look like." With that she gently tossed the crystal above her. It floated down slowly and landed softly on the top of Sarah's head, where it burst into an explosion of glitter, raining down over her. Tabby began to giggle happily, clapping and jumping up and down, while the goblins stared slack jawed. Seaf merely smirked and shrugged his shoulders. Sarah flicked her fingers and a portion of the wall became a mirror.

Her hair was controlled chaos. It was mass of braids and teased curls, suspended somehow around her head. The light filtering through from behind created a softly glowing halo effect. The petite gold crown sat at a jaunty, gravity defying angle. Her neck was covered in strands of shimmering crystals, as were both wrists. The bodice of her white dress skimmed form fitting down to her hips, before flaring out into layers of soft silk and lace. Small off the shoulder puff sleeves ended in lacey layers.

Sarah turned to see the back of the dress and stopped short. She glanced at the beaming girl before gathering up her skirt and peering at her feet. They were bare.

"Do all the queens where you come from walk around barefoot?" she asked Tabby, raising a brow.

"Well, you never really see their feet, so I skipped that part."

"I see," Sarah replied with a grin. She clicked her heels together twice and a pair of delicate white slippers appeared on her feet. Sarah smoothed the dress back into place. "Not bad Tabitha," she said giving a little twirl in front of the mirror. "A little more…elaborate…than my usual attire…but not bad."

"You look so pretty!" Tabby squealed happily, the goblins nodding in agreement. Sarah stood and regarded the girl, tapping her forefinger against her bottom lip. Tabby blinked. "What's wrong?"

"This will never do," Sarah replied with a sigh.

"What?" Tabby asked with a puzzled look.

"Here I am in such a charming dress, while you stand there in a night gown. No, it won't do," Sarah continued, shaking her head and producing a pair of gloves. She slipped them on, smoothing them over her fingers as she contemplated the girl. She nodded once, produced a crystal and tossed it gently at Tabby.

When the glitter cleared Tabby stared wide eyed into the mirror. Her hair was a mass of curls pulled back with flowers and ribbons. She wore a shimmery fluffy pink dress that ended mid calf, small cap sleeves, and a pair of study pink flats. A delicate chain hung around her neck and from it suspended a small flawless crystal ball.

Tabby wheeled around and hugged Sarah tightly around the waist. "It's perfect! Thank you!" she exclaimed, before turning to twirl in front of her goblin friends.

Sarah stood back and watched as the trio ooh'd and aah'd over the bubbling girl.

"Girly looks like princess," Seaf said with a small nod and smiled.

"They're amusing creatures at this age," Sarah replied.

"They like her," he stated, watching as the trio began to spin along with Tabby in front of the mirror. She nodded in agreement.

"And you?" she asked, glancing towards him.

"Girly amuses Seaf." He answered with a wide grin.

"She amuses me too. Perhaps we'll keep this one for ourselves," Sarah said softly. "How is our runner doing?"

Seaf returned his attention to the crystal still cradled in his hands. "Runner almost to first test," he replied.

"Really?" She asked in surprise. "He was just leaving the worm last I checked."

"Heard girly scream…ran fast," He replied with a shrug.

"Indeed," she murmured.

Tabby ran back to Sarah giggling, the goblins lay dizzily on the floor making unsuccessful attempts to get back on their feet.

"Can we have a tea party? That's what Queens do; they have lots and lots of tea parties!" Tabby asked excitedly, throwing her hands into the air.

"Why, that sounds like an excellent suggestion, my dear Tabitha," Sarah exclaimed with a smile. "Idgit, Bleug, Org," she said with a clap of her hands. "Would you kindly escort Miss Tabitha to the courtyard? We have a tea party to attend." She quietly ushered them to the door. "I'll be right along; I have something to see to at the moment." She smiled and waved them off before returning to Seaf.

"Keep and eye on them please Seaf, I'll be back shortly." Sarah transformed in mid stride and soared out the window and over the labyrinth. Seaf watched until she disappeared from view. He placed the crystal gently in the small bag tied to his belt and jumped down from his perch, off to carry out his orders.

* * *

woo hoo! Jareth's challenge next chapter! The blue worm from the last chapter made me think of tea parties...hence the tea party.

Trivia about the goblins - when I started writing this, I had no clue what to name them...how do you come up with a goblin name? not a clue. so I started thinking of what color they were and that's where the names came from.

Seaf - sea foam green

Org - orange

Bleug - blue green

Idgit - indigo

so yay. now you know. :-) critiques and reviews welcomed!


	7. Chapter 7

Thanks for all the kind reviews so far! Enjoy chapter 7!

Disclaimer: Jareth ain't mine (yet), but the others are (I think)!

* * *

He kept running, dodging in and out of openings, hitting dead ends and starting over. That ear piercing shriek had filled the air only once more, and now the only sounds heard were the echoing of his shoes against the smooth stones and his own ragged breathing. Jareth finally forced himself to stop, falling back against a wall and sliding down. He brought one knee up and rested his elbow upon it, supporting his weary head with his hand. He gulped huge breaths before willing his heart to slow its race and his breathing to even. He gazed around him, wondering if the massive maze would ever come to an end, when a shadow caught the corner of his eye. Turning his head slightly to face it, Jareth watched the small shadow shift slightly on the wall in front of him. Warily he lifted his head to look above him searching for the source.

Perched upon the stone wall he rested against was a rather imposing raven, head cocked, looking back at him. It unfurled its wings and within seconds had glided to land mere inches from his feet. It stood there, cocking its head first this way then that, as if sizing up an opponent. Jareth, having taken note of its rather dangerous looking beak and talons, slowly pulled his feet closer.

"Well…"he said, finally breaking the silence and carefully rising to his feet, "as much as I would love to continue this staring contest, I'm afraid I really must be on my way."With a rather brief nod in the raven's direction, he edged his way along the wall and around the nearest corner. He continued on, rounding another turn only to stop short at the sight of a raven perched atop the wall in front of him. It stood quite still, staring at Jareth. Jareth in turn sidestepped cautiously to the left, keeping one eye on the feathered beast and the other for hidden openings in the wall. Spying one, he slipped through and took of at a hurried pace.

As he rounded another turn, the stone walls gave way to an equally dense hedge, and Jareth soon found himself facing a dead end. Muttering under his breath he turned to retrace his steps. He stopped upon noticing a raven standing in the middle of the path, blocking the only way out.

"_I'm being stalked by a bloody bird_," he thought to himself with a sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose while he assessed the situation. "_Birds are scared of humans, curious perhaps, but scared. There's absolutely no reason for me to be afraid of a bird_," he thought, staring down at it. "_Unless it's because of those rather sharp talons_…" The raven cocked its head. Jareth strode forward, "_This is ridiculous, if I walk towards it, it will just fly away like any other…bird…_" and stopped a foot fall away from the raven, whose only movement was to tilt its head upward, watching him. He took a step back.

Jareth was not overly fond of birds. It wasn't a burning hate, or phobia; more like a general dislike. It just so happened that Jareth had a strong sense of personal space…which birds often seemed to invade. He wasn't sure when the feeling started; perhaps it began when he was four, on that trip to the sea shore, when a seagull swooped out of no where and stole half of his sandwich… plucked it right out of his hands. Or maybe when he was eight and that blue jay attacked him, causing him to fall out of the tree he'd been climbing and break his arm. Or when he was fifteen and his neighbor's cockatiel landed on his head with a death grip and refused to budge, resulting in some very painful and prominent bald patches. There was that pigeon that always dived at him in the park, that macaw that snapped at him every time he went in the pet store, and that blasted owl that would swoop at him when he walked up the drive after a late night. All he knew was that at the moment he did not like birds…and he definitely did not want to anger this one.

"_Things ain't always as they seem_" whispered through his mind.

"Indeed…" he whispered back.

"Please forgive my rudeness my…fine feathered friend," Jareth began with a slight bow, "But I fear that I am terribly lost and in dire need of your help. I have been in search of the castle for quite some time now, but seem unable to locate it. If I might avail myself of your…_vastly_ superior knowledge…of this labyrinth, I would find myself forever in your debt. " He pasted on a smile while mentally bidding a fond farewell to his sanity; it had quite obviously fled if he were trying to get a favor from a bird.

The raven regarded him for a moment, then turned and hopped two steps away before turning back to look at him. Jareth straightened and began to follow. With a grin and a wink, it flew off down the path. Jareth blinked. _"Did that bird just…?" _He let out a snort and shrugged, _"Why not?"_ With a grin he followed behind.

Jareth kept at a brisk pace, following the bird that always stayed just ahead and never looked back, apparently confident in Jareth's ability to keep up. He was led into a small courtyard, part stone, part hedge. He knew somehow that there was no going back, and a glance over his shoulder confirmed that where there had been an arched opening was now a hedge wall. When he looked forward, what had at first been a solid stone wall now held two identical wooden doors, covered in delicate metal work. A weight suddenly pressed upon his shoulder, and he realized with a startled glance that the raven was now perched there.

"You wouldn't happen to know which door?" he asked softly, regarding the raven with a raised brow.

A throaty laugh snapped his attention back to the doors. Above them, lounging on the high ledge lay a sphinx. The white marble stone gleamed in the sunlight and Jareth watched in amazement as its tail flicked back and forth in amusement. In one fluid motion the statue rose and jumped down to sit between the two doors, the only sound the soft clacking of stone on stone.

Jareth could only continue to stare at the creature that seemed to defy all logic. It was clearly carved from stone, yet seem to move in ways that stone could not possibly move. It had a female face, quite possibly the most beautiful that he had ever seen. Its hair was a mass of ringlets piled atop its head in a Grecian fashion, tendrils wisped loose here and there wavering in the slight breeze. It wore an intricate harness bearing a strange seal that managed to just cover other wise bare breasts. It sat watching Jareth with it's blank eyes for a brief moment before turning it's attention.

"Good day to you Mistress Raven," it purred, bowing its head in the ravens direction. "She'll be of no help to you here, Son of Adam," the sphinx continued, returning its gaze toward Jareth.

"How am I to choose if I don't know where they will lead?" He asked, crossing his arms and returning the gaze. The sphinx smiled at this, revealing sharp pointy teeth.

"One door will lead to your eternal suffering, the other to your hearts desire."

"And how am I to know which is which?"

"Ah, so like your kind to expect everything to be given…such greed will be your downfall."

"Then there is a price to be paid for this knowledge?"

"Foolish mortal…there is a price for everything," chuckled the sphinx, grin widening.

"What is the price?" Jareth asked, eyes narrowing.

"An answer. Solve my riddle and the path you seek may become known to you."

"May?" he questioned, brow raised.

"You should know there are no guarantees in life."

"And if I can't answer your riddle?"

"Then you shall make a most magnificent meal," it purred with a feral grin.

The raven by this point was gripping quite tightly onto Jareth's left shoulder, which he bore with only the slightest grimace of pain. It gave a low hiss at the sphinx upon its last remark and was acknowledged with a narrowed glare and soft growl. Jareth instinctively raised his left hand and placed it gently but firmly upon the ravens back.

"Easy luv," he whispered, earning a startled look from the raven. "It would seem," he began, addressing the sphinx, "that I might have a better chance simply choosing a door at random without your help."

"To choose a door, you must first pass me," it replied, rising to advance a few steps in Jareth's direction. "To get past me you must first solve my riddle."

"Then I would suggest you get on with it as I'm a tad pressed for time," came the icy retort.

The sphinx grinned, tail swishing back and forth. "There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first."

Jareth stood head bowed, lost in thought, absentmindedly stroking the raven's neck, who in turn was staring quiet intently at him. _"One gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. An ongoing cycle…perpetual…perhaps something that could occur in both this place and mine." _His mind reeled with the various possibilities, discarding this, refining that, until the answer lay before him.

The sphinx watched in mild amusement as the runner's face changed from blank to thoughtful, and just as quickly to cold and calculating. Such a rapid change, it was sure, would have made others of his kind quite fearful. The sphinx however, remained passively watching; half hoping that he could produce the answer. As much as it would enjoy feasting upon the pain and torment derived from eternal suffering, it was in no hurry to anger a sovereign who had quite obviously taken an interest in this particular mortal.

Jareth raised his head, directing his gaze to the sphinx. Letting his hand fall back to his side he answered, "Day and night."

The sphinx gave a small smile. "You may pass," it replied with a slight bow, darting a glance at the raven. It turned and gracefully jumped back up to its resting place above the doors. Laying one paw over the other it looked down at Jareth. "Tell me human, what is it that you seek?"

"To reach the castle, find my sister, and return home," he answered, meeting its gaze.

"May the fates be kind to you," the sphinx replied with a grin. Jareth watched as one door inched open while the other rotted, its metal work rusting and crumbling before his eyes.

"That wasn't too bad, now was it?" Jareth whispered with a glance at the raven. It cocked its head in reply. He walked up to the door and pushed it open. Dusk greeted him as he stepped over the threshold onto a tree lined dirt path. The door swung shut quietly behind him.

"This should be fairly easy, just follow the path," he said setting off with a grin. He stopped short however when he felt the raven shift on his shoulder. "Going somewhere?" he questioned. It paused for a brief moment before rubbing its head gently across his cheek and taking flight, disappearing amidst the branches and darkening sky. Jareth stared after the bird long after he had lost sight of it. With a faint smile he trudged onwards.

* * *

The sphinx watched as a bird flew in the distance, high above the walls and trees, towards the castle. "Return home…" it chuckled, sadly shaking its head. "Foolish human…" With one last sigh it returned to impassive stone, waiting to be awoken by the next unfortunate soul.

* * *

Sorry for the delay in this chapter. I knew what I wanted, but _some_ people were being very difficult (shakes a fist Jareth).

Author Rambling:

out of curiosity the other day I was looking at the number of hits this story has gotten since I first posted it, when I realized that you can also see how many hits you get each _chapter_. This is were I get a bit confused, and have to wonder at you readers out there. Currently chapt 1 - 133; 2 - 72; 3 - 74; 4 - 50; 5 - 81; 6 - 138 hits.

I've come to the following conclusions:

1a - A large number of people read chapter one and read no further.(cries ;_; )

1b - I out did myself with chapter one and you guys keep rereading it.(cheers ^_^)

2a - Chapter four is the least liked chapter in this story.

2b - People are accidentally skipping over chapter four.

3a - you guys love chapter six.

3b - you guys keeping refreshing chapter six hoping to see that I've posted chapter 7.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sorry for the delay, but...well...it's summer, and I tend to vacation in spots where wi-fi is for the most part unheard of. yay for roughing it lol Enjoy!

Disclaimer: not mine, except the tea set, I do own that.

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The raven dove through the window of the castles highest tower, transforming mid flight in the middle of the small room. Sarah stood quite still with her eyes closed.

"Seaf…" she muttered, pausing as the momentarily startled goblin poofed into the room. "Do you know what the first test for our runner was?" Seaf blinked. He took note of the rapid clenching and unclenching of her jaw as well as the low creak of her leather gloves as her fingers curled into fists as she stood in her summons regalia. Seaf swallowed.

"Runner has same test as others like him…" he began, watching her closely, "get past the dwarf."

"The Sphinx," she replied softly, turning towards Seaf, "It sent him to the Sphinx." Her eyes flashed opened and the crystal that formed in her hand was just as quickly hurled against the wall. "_It sent him to the Sphinx!_" she screamed, smashing crystal after crystal into the wall. Seaf shrank back as Sarah whirled around towards him. Once green eyes were now jet black as they regarded him, her rage emanating dark shadows that filled the room.

"Why, Seaf," she growled, "Why the Sphinx?"

"Seaf doesn't know why," he replied quietly with a small shrug.

It was at that moment that the soft sound of laughter filled the room. Sarah's head and attention snapped to the tower window and for one brief moment the shadows flared before suddenly dying down into nothingness, black eyes dissolving back into green.

"We have a tea party to attend," she announced quietly before turning and leaving through the tower door.

* * *

Seaf stayed where he was, listening as her footsteps echoed down the stairs fading into silence. He quietly untied the small bag on his belt and removed the crystal. Peering into its depths he saw the runner walking along the forest path. Seaf scratched his head in confusion. "Forest come after dwarf, not Sphinx…what Seaf miss?" he asked himself, turning the crystal in his hand.

"The first test," came a soft reply. Seaf glanced up, startled at the new presence, and would have dropped the crystal had two hands not swiftly moved to secure it. "Careful," It smiled, as it gently pressed Seaf's fingers to curl around the ball, "You have borne witness since its beginning, and you shall bear witness until its end."

Seaf looked from the glowing hands that encompassed his up into mirth filled eyes, then back to the crystal. "Seaf will do what is asked," he said, taking a small step back before carefully retuning the crystal to the safety of his bag. Brows furrowed, he took another step back. "What is Labyrinth doing?" he asked.

"We are testing our runner," It replied with a soft smile. Seaf watched the figure move slowly about the room. It came to a stop in front of a large wall of shelves. They were beautifully carved from a rich red wood that glowed softly in the dim rays of light from the window. They ran the width of the wall and spanned nearly the entire height of the chamber. Upon them, neatly aligned in pristine rows, were hundreds of crystals. Each one sat upon a delicate scrolling gold stand.

"Labyrinth test all runners," Seaf stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "Why this runner go to Sphinx, not dwarf?"

"You know as well as I that this runner is different," the figure replied, turning its gaze from the crystals and onto Seaf. "You're the only one that realizes he's special…" it paused and turned to regard the crystals once more. "At least you're the only one that will admit it," it finished with a chuckle.

"What does Labyrinth want?" Seaf questioned, moving towards the shelves to stand next to the glowing figure.

"To see if he is worthy," it replied, plucking a crystal seemingly at random from its stand and gazing into it. It turned and knelt down, raising the crystal till it was eye level with Seaf.

"Worthy?" he whispered, peering into the crystals depths.

"Worthy of me…and of her," it whispered back with a smile. Seaf watched as inside the crystal swirled and darkened before playing out a long forgotten scene.

"This is runner?" Seaf gasped, fixated on the unfolding memory. The Labyrinth simply nodded yes.

* * *

Sarah entered the courtyard as the last rays of light peeked over the stone wall that enclosed it. A small circular table sat in the grass a few feet from where the stone floor ended. The frothy lace of the table cloth reached nearly to the ground. Upon it sat tiered silver trays heavily laden with various fruits, cakes, and sweets. Tea was set for two with delicate china bearing roses and gilt edgings.

She passed this by, belatedly remembering her attire and performing a quick change, before descending the last three stairs into the main courtyard. She stood and watched as Tabby and her trio of goblins played a game of follow the leader…with a chicken. Sarah could only shake her head in amusement as the group trailed behind the leader, randomly scratching the ground with their feet and flapping their improvised wings. Tabby noticed her first, throwing her hands in the air she raced to where Sarah stood.

"Sarah, Sarah!" she yelled, before flinging her arms about Sarah's waist. The unexpected force of impact was enough to cause Sarah to stagger back a few steps.

"Why, hello to you too," She replied with a laugh, bending to give the child a brief hug. Tabby pulled back slightly.

"I was wondering when you would come, I thought maybe you forgot, it's getting dark, but we can still have a tea party right? 'cause you hafta have a light around here somewhere we can turn on, right? And a tea party at night is just as good as a tea party in the day, I'm sure of it, maybe even better! " Tabby let out all at once, looking up at Sarah with a wide eyes and an even wider grin. Sarah watched in amusement as the girl paused for a breath.

"No, I didn't forget. Yes, we can still have a tea party. Yes, we have lights. I'm sure it would be a good party regardless of what time it's held." Sarah answered, smiling down at the girl. "First things first, lights." With an intricate twist of the wrist the courtyard was suddenly bathed in soft light. All over the courtyard suspended at various heights were hundreds of paper lanterns. No two were alike, each one varying in color, size, and shape. Tabby's arms dropped from Sarah as she looked around her in amazement. "And of course it wouldn't be an evening party without them, now would it?" She questioned Tabby, tapping her lightly on the nose."

"Without who?" Tabby asked, looking at Sarah quizzically.

"Why, them of course," she replied. With a flick of her fingers the soft light of the lanterns was joined with dozens of lightning bugs lazily flying through the night air.

"Fireflies!" Tabby squealed, before running off to chase one. The goblin trio, who had abandoned their game when the lanterns appeared, took off to join in this new adventure.

Sarah turned and walked slowly across through the grass, up the three small steps, and sat down at the table to watch.

"She's such a happy child…isn't she?" Sarah asked, with a side long glance at Seaf who had just entered the courtyard to stand beside her. Seaf nodded silently. "You took your time in joining us," she continued, her fingers beginning to tap a staccato rhythm against the table top.

"Seaf…was…watching runner," he replied, darting a glance at Sarah.

"I see," she said, nodding thoughtfully. "It must have been…dreadfully fascinating…to have captivated your attention for such a long length of time. Tell me Seaf," she continued, turning to face Seaf with raised brow, "What is our _fascinating_ runner up to?"

"Sarah, Sarah! I got one!" Tabby shouted as she charged up the steps and thrust her cupped hands inches from Sarah's face. Seaf let out a silent sigh of relief at the momentary diversion. Tabby opened her hands slowly to reveal the small black bug.

"Why so you have Tabitha!" Sarah laughed. She covered Tabby's hands with her own and whispered "Make a wish Tabitha."

Tabby closed her eyes and grinned wide. "I wish…I wish…" she paused and the grin slowly faded away. She opened her eyes and stared sadly at her covered hands. "I wish that Jareth won't stay mad at me 'cause I ruined my dress…or my shoes."

Sarah remained still, hands still closed around Tabby's smaller pair. Her smile had faded by the end of the wish to be replaced by slightly furrowed brows. "Why would Jareth be upset over something like that?" she asked quietly.

Tabby looked at Sarah strangely before giving a small shrug. "My old ones were getting small so he bought me new ones. They were kinda expensive. I was only 'sposed to wear them on Sundays and special parties…but he let me try them on again at home…and I kinda messed them up."

"What exactly did you do?"Sarah asked.

"Well…it started raining. And Hoppy, that's my bunny, doesn't like the rain," Tabby glanced around before leaning closer to Sarah and whispering, "she's scared of thunder."

"Ah, I see," Sarah whispered back.

"_Aaaaaaand_…I kinda maybe forgot I had my new clothes on, _sooooo_ I went outside to check on her, and when I was running I sorta fell…in the mud." Tabby looked up at Sarah guiltily. "He seemed kinda upset."

"Well…I suppose I can see why then," Sarah said with a nod, "But I'm sure he's forgotten all about it by now."

"I wish Jareth was here," Tabby said with a sigh. Seaf watched nervously at the strange light that entered Sarah's eye. It had vanished just as quickly as he had noticed it, but that brief flash made him question how much Sarah knew, and just what she had planned.

"What an excellent notion my dear Tabitha, it's a wonder I didn't think of it sooner." She said sweetly, releasing her hold on Tabby's hands and turning her attention to the table where she began to pour a cup of tea. "Well, go on," she commanded, setting down the teapot and waving a hand at the girl, "send the invitation."

Tabby looked around quizzically before looking to Seaf who made a motion with his hands. Frowning slightly she looked down at her own hands and opened them. Her eyes grew wide as her hands revealed not the small, black, flashing bug that she had caught, but a large, white, glowing…moth? Its wings fluttered hesitantly, a wondrous study of gossamer and lace, before taking flight to flutter gracefully across the courtyard and over the stone wall. Tabby watched it fly away until it was out of sight before turning back to Sarah with a look of pure amazement on her face.

"Now tell me, my dear," she said as Seaf led Tabby to her seat, "Do you prefer one lump or sugar, or two?"

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A huge thank you to all my reviewers, I think of you often when I'm writing ^_^

critiques and reviews welcomed!


	9. Chapter 9

I think this is the longest chapter yet :D

disclaimer: ...seriously? yadda yadda, you know the drill.

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Jareth had long since come to the conclusion that logic, or at least logic as he knew it, did not exist in the Labyrinth. He had thought that at his age he would have a firm grasp on the relation of night and day. After all, more often than not he had found himself half blinded by the rising sun on his commute to work and assaulted again by its setting upon his return home. He had always thought that the sun hung low in the horizon for a handful of minutes before sinking fully and giving way to night. This did not seem to be the case in the labyrinth. The pale orange glow of the sun had been half below the horizon when he first entered the forest path, and had yet to budge despite the long passage of time. Jareth had also come to notice that no matter how twisted the path, the sun stayed to his immediate right.

He had tried twice to leave the path, another adventure in failed logic. The forest stretched for as far as he could see to the left, but appeared to end a mere ten yards to his right, where a meadow stretched out to the half-set sun. The first time he left the path, he navigated through the thick under brush and around the trees only to find that what should have been a first step into the meadow was instead a step back onto the path. The second time he tried, no matter how far he ventured, a glance behind him revealed he was never more than a few feet from the path. It was quite difficult to leave a path that did not want to be left behind.

If being held hostage to a possessive forest path wasn't irritating enough, the inability to track the passage of time was enough to drive a sane man mad. Luckily for Jareth, his sanity had left him some time ago. After much more walking, and cursing of current foot wear, he came upon a fork in the path. The path to the left veered deeper into the woods, where the trees appeared even denser, and the path was littered with underbrush before disappearing into almost complete darkness. The path to the right veered off into an opened meadow filled with the warm light of the setting sun. The choice was almost too obvious, and it left Jareth standing with a small frown as he contemplated his options. He turned slightly in either direction, studying the surrounding area for some sort of hint or clue as to which path to choose.

"The path to the right would appear to be the better choice, if only because it might allow me to get a bearing on the direction of the castle. However, the path ends once the meadow begins." Turning glance down the other path, he continued, "This path seems straight out of a horror movie, with the only advantage being that the path continues." Squinting slightly, he peered further down the path. "Is that…is that fog I see? What's next? Some boogie man hiding in the bushes?" Folding his arms across his chest, and giving a glance to both, he moved a step closer to the right and paused. "However…if things are not always what they seem…" He took a step back before closing his eyes and raking a hand through his short hair, mumbling death threats to an absent monarch.

As he opened his eyes, a flash of white caught his attention, and he whirled around to find its source. Fluttering lazily around him, mere inches from his head was a large, white, glowing moth. Jareth could only stare, instantly mesmerized. His left hand rose, seemingly of its own accord, and reached out towards it, before he stopped, just shy of reaching it. The moth seemed to hesitate for the briefest of moments before turning and landing gracefully on Jareth's outstretched fingers. The small creature was so light, that had Jareth not seen its landing, it would have never registered. Slowly, he brought his hand closer to his face, studying the delicate wings with a sense of awe. They were white, and so thin as to be nearly translucent. The veins that criss-crossed its surface in a delicate design glowed brightly, pulsing steadily to an unknown rhythm.

Suddenly the moth lit to a blinding intensity, before the entire creature seemed to cave in on itself, leaving a glowing orb that shot down his hand and wrapped itself around Jareth's middle finger. It happened so fast that it was done before he could even register the shock of what was happening. He stared in horror as the glowing band dimmed to the slightest of glows. A thick metal ring wrapped seamlessly around his finger. A thin band of gold inscribed with minute characters was flanked on either side by wider bands of plain silver. It was at least a half inch in width, with the gold inscriptions emitting a soft light. Grasping the ring with his other hand he tried to pull it off, only to find that the harder he tugged, the tighter it dug into his finger. Giving up with a frustrated sigh, he yelled to the forest "Fine! I'll keep the damned thing on." Turning on his heel, he stalked down the path to the left, storming further into the surrounding darkness.

* * *

Sarah smiled as she took another sip of tea. Tabby sat next to her, regaling her goblin friends with exaggerated tales of adventures with her pet rabbit. Org was wide eyed and entranced, moving only to shove the occasional cookie in his mouth. Idgit sat in slack-jawed amazement, hands gripping his long forgotten cupcake. Bleug chewed slowly on a silver tea spoon, petting the chicken that was, amazingly, sitting calmly on his lap. Even Seaf was listening intently. Tabby paused in her tale to sip her drink, more sugar and honey than actual tea. Sarah had a sweet tooth herself, but Tabby's would have put even the sugar plum fairy to shame.

Setting down her cup gently, Sarah cast a glance at Seaf. He turned, reluctantly, catching her slight nod, and returned it with one of his own. She sat back in the chair, hands folded on her lap, and let a piece of her magic reach out past the walled courtyard and out into the labyrinth. With a small smile as the connection was made, she let her mind slip away.

* * *

Jareth stood, eyes closed, hands clenched into fists by his side. The path had led him deep into the heart of the forest, plunging him into a darkness that was barely held at bay by the full moon overhead. It had twisted and turned until he completely lost all sense of direction. A glance behind after he had walked some distance showed the path behind him disappearing with each step forward, replaced by towering trees and thorn bushes. His temper seemed to rise with each step forward, and had there been any creature on that darkened path, they stayed well out of his sight. He stood now at the end of the path. It had led him to the edge of a massive lake that seemed to span the entire horizon. The water laid as still as glass, reflecting everything is saw as precise as any mirror ever could.

Opening his eyes, he stared at his reflection. A faint flare of light caught the corner of his eye, and he watched as a woman dressed in white appeared, seated in the low slung branch of a tree behind him. Turning from the reflection, he face the tree only to find nothing there. Turning back to the lake, he saw that the figure remained in the reflection.

"Who are you?" He demanded, watching as the reflected image of the woman tilted her head, as if studying him. After a moment, it replied with a throaty chuckle "And here I thought you had missed me."

His eyes narrowed in recognition, and he turned to face her, letting out a growl as the realization dawned that her reflection was the closest he would be getting to her. Turning back to the lake, he willed his jaw to unclench. "What do you want?" He snarled.

She stared back at him, a soft smile tilting her lips as she replied, "I was merely checking on your progress. I am somewhat honor bound to do so, you realize. Can't have mortals running about unchecked, now can I?" At his continued silence, she grinned and made a show of smoothing out her full skirt, adjusting how it fell over her legs and from the branch she was sitting. "Ah, yes, my new dress. Do you like it? My dear little Tabitha created it for me. Such an imagination, that one. Her new friends are most eager to have her join them…permanently." Giving a dramatic sigh, and a final brush to her dress, she continued, "Honestly Jareth, you look so tired…as if you could fall asleep where you stand. You have such a busy day tomorrow, so many meetings, and those new clients. Go home. Get some sleep. Tabitha will be fine here. You have your whole life in front of you, no need to have some child tie you down," she finished, feigning interest in the gems strung about her wrist.

"Give her back." He spoke so softly she almost hadn't heard him. "She's mine. I refuse to allow you to take her from me," he continued, each word gaining more strength and volume until he was practically shouting.

"Well," Sarah responded calmly, "I'm afraid I've already taken her, and it was your words that allowed me to. Complete the labyrinth if you wish to win her back" Frowning at his murderous glare, her reflection wavered in the tree a moment only to solidify standing next to his. "For one who demands fairness from others, you seem incapable of reciprocation. There are forces at work here far greater than your insignificant mind could ever begin to fathom. The rules exists for a reason, even if they make no sense to you or your misguided notions of fair play."

"There is no rule in existence that can't be broken. End this now and return Tabby to me," he ground out, eyes filling with anger and hatred as they focused on her. She closed her eyes and gave a sad shake of her head. "The rules were broken once before Jareth…I don't think I'd survive should I break them again."

"Do you actually think I give a damn what happens to you?" he asked with a sneer. "You bring me here, force me to run this overgrown maze, where I've been accosted by birds and statues threatening bodily harm, and forced down this path that leads nowhere –"

Sarah looked at him sharply, interrupting his tirade. "I have done everything that you have asked of me with only one exception. I have forced you nowhere. The path you have chosen was chosen by you alone. Perhaps someday you will come to realize just how generous I have been." Looking at him intently, she added quietly "Not everything here is as it seems…but sometimes a meadow is just that. A meadow."

Thrusting his left hand up to the reflection he retorted "And other times it's wise to be cautious of feigned innocence. What the hell is this ring, and why won't it come off?"

Turning away, she replied, "It has no need to at the moment." She glanced at him over her shoulder. "A gift, to ease your mind…just say her name. By the way, you have nine hours left. Call for me when you wish to declare your defeat." She raised a hand and a burst of light shot through the sky. Jareth turned his startled gaze upon it. It lit the darkness, revealing the edge of the lake. The other side of the shore, while distant, showed a break in the trees and what looked to be a continued path. If he kept to the edge of the water and hurried, he hazard to guess that he might reach it within the half hour.

Glancing around, he saw no sign of the Goblin Queen. Fuming, he set off in search of the path he'd seen when a weight in his front shirt pocket slowed him to a halt. Reaching in he pulled out a small circular mirror, backed in gold, covered in the now familiar markings he'd seen throughout his time in the labyrinth. Cupping it gently between both hands, he thought a moment, then whispered Tabby's name.

A light swirled from beneath the glass, revealing the image as if it were emerging from a fog. Tabby sat at a large table filled with sweets, surrounded by four seated goblins who appeared to be chatting quite animatedly with her. She looked over at someone excitedly before jumping down from her chair, three of the goblins following closely behind. Jareth's brow rose as he recognized the one as helping him find the entrance to the labyrinth. His eyes narrowed as he watched Tabby throw her arms around the Queen's neck, her eyes filled with excitement as she spoke, then paused as the Queen replied, before planting a kiss upon the lady's cheek and running off to play with the goblins.

Jareth stood still, staring at the mirror in his hands long after the images had faded away. Mechanically, he placed it back within his pocket, and forced his legs to carry him around the lake.

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Don't worry, I didn't forget about this story. I can't say how regular the updates will be, but it won't be abandoned.

Thanks to all my reviewers once again, as well as those of you that faved it during it's long hiatus. Thanks for sticking around, I appreciate it!

Midu: nope, you're canon crazy. but fear not, for there will be a twist of most epic proportions...unless it leaks...therefore there shall be no guessing of said epic twist allowed!

Cassie MM: It will be made clearer later on, but basically, the level of inner evilness determines the level of labyrinth challenge...ness? The path Jareth is taking is supposedly a bit skewed from what Sarah had thought it would be.

Lightning Eterna: Huh, hadn't thought of that, but it does seem to mirror it quite nicely :-) I was honestly just trying to keep poor Tabby entertained lol

To everyone else: Yay! glad you liked it, and hope this update doesn't disappoint.


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